At The Zoo...

This must be a stellar year for me and the United Photographers Of Montreal! Two outings in a row! I really hope this streak keeps up!

The next outing we went to was to the Eco Museum in Ste. Anne De Bellvieu.
Until that day I didn't even know we had an Eco Museum in Montreal. But, after that outing I was very glad we did. It was such a pleasnt surprise!
The place was bigger than I thought it would be, considering the area it was situated in. It wasn't too far from the highway and was practically surrounded by trees and all manner of foliage.
It looked like it could have been taken out of any adventure book you might have read as a child.
It was such a beautiful place!
We got to see it on a very sunny and chilly Saturday morning. Once through the main building we pushed through the back doors and the first creature we saw were a group of Snowy Owls. They were of a good size and so amazing to look at. As we wandered around the place we came upon a long man made bridge that traversed a body of water that could have been out of a Louisianna Bayou, green moss skimming across the surface and all.
There were a set of very playfull Sea Otters, a rather pungent porcupine, White Tailed Deers, at least three Black Bears, and so many opportunities for nature photography that my cup runeth over.
I particularly loved this aspect of the day. I shot so many images that I had to change cards!I was both surprised and dissapoint to find that the lake where the water fowls were to be was under construction. But,from what I hear it should be finished by next summer.
A real surprise was the basement of the main building. there they housed the anphibians, turtles, and snakes. I got a great shot of a turtle with his nose just barely poking out of the water's surface. I shot it without a tripod so, I was klucky it came out the way it did.

My other picture, albeit, a bit more shaky, was an abstract of the turtle's body, toes on their tips torso reaching up towards...what? Food, another turtle, maybe just to get some air...

I really enjoyed this place. The price wasn't too high to get in, from what I remembered, so it's a perfect place for families. It's somewhere I would definitely return to and highly reccommend to others.
Keep the activities coming UPM!

Abandoned

One weekend in October I got to do something I've always wanted to do.
I got to shoot inside an abandoned building.

It had been about a year since I took part in any activities with my photography group, The United Photographers Of Montreal. For one reason or another I found myself constantly waylaid by all kinds of outings or work related activities that kept me out of their reach and off of their radar. But when the outing to shoot in an abandoned factory came up I quickly checked my schedule and made a note to be there- come Hell or High water!
The factory in question was the abandoned sugar factory in St. Henri. It was a bit hard to get to but, oh, so, worth the trek.
First, we had to walk under an underpass, dotted with various size mud puddles, then, reaching our destination, scamper down a slightly steep hill before we entered the crag-like opening of the factory.
Victory!
It was as I had dreamed.
There was this great, and vast opening before you as you ventured inside. Watching your footsteps you could either take the tiny stone steps to your right or you could walk out onto the landing,the edge of which revealed the gaping maw of the center of the building.
I was in Hog heaven!
Sadly, I could stay as long as I wanted to. I had to meet a friend later that evening. But, I did make the most of my day while I was there.

The one thing noticed about the building was that it wasn't as lonely as I thought it would be.
The amount of people lurking in the shadows or galivanting in plain sight was astonishing to me! Here I thought I was doing something clandestine, something beneath the scope of the law when all the while the place was hopping like a club at two a.m.!
Among the other things I noticed was the artwork. Because, let's face it, that's what it was. Great murals lamenting the recent or not so recent passing of a loved one, friend or family, lavish stokes of bravado splashed all across the various walls of the buildings interior.

There was also refuse, debris left from someone's other life. saw this sad, dilapidated stuffed tiger drowning in a pool of fetid water.

At first, I thought it out of place in a setting like this but then I looked around me and saw all the stories of people's lives displayed all around me and I thought better if it- it probably fit in there more than I did.
The place was huge!You could probably walk through the whole place and still forget that there's a roof!
The roof was a real treat. Up there you could get a really good view of the overpass, and at the right time of day the lighting must be breathtaking.
I know that I couldn't stay there long that day but I was extremely happy to have gotten the chance to see the place and photograph it. I hope to go back real soon(I wonder what it looks like in the snow?)but not alone- it might have been crowded that day but, it may not be all time! I'm not crazy!

Workshop 2011

Back in October I hosted another workshop for the McGill Mini Courses.This time around my class containedcthree amazing students. Ateeya, Deveney, and Sarah. It was such a pleasure to have them in my group. They were so open and interested in the things that I said. I loved that they asked all mannor of questions of me, all of which I tried my very best to answer.
I hope they have a great holiday and continue shooting!

As always I took my class to Mount Royal Park- but this time we made a tiny detour and ventured into the Mount Royal Cemetery. As some of my group had never been in there before I was more than happy to give them the ten cent tour.
Inside, we passed by some of the oldest tombstones in the cemetery. Some so old that the names engraved upon them were barely ledgible, and others still had stones that were hardly able to stand upright any more. Of course there were the angles, some on high, some down below, some with all of their parts and, some missing quite a few. The cherubs, too, were on display, stioically watching guard over thier sole charge.
It all made for a very picturesque tableau.
We ended our workshop in front of the large chalet that over looked the city. If I am not mistaken, I walked down the other side of the mountain with Deveney (if this is wrong, I give you my humble appologies..). The view from, what I think is trhe steeper side of the mountain does have it's beauties. Like the Stream of water that poured out of a pipe in the side of a hill that I had never seen before.

As you walked down the wooden staircase you couldn't help but follow the path of the softly trickling water as it pooled into a tiny basin at the foot of the hill.
A truly beautiful sight, to be sure!
It is a wonderful thing not to be too complacent about your surrundings. Always leave room to be surprised from time to time.
My next workshop begins in March.
Happy shooting everyone!